Centrifugal flinger for preventing leakage through a wall



CENTRIFUGAL FLINGER FOR PREVENTING LEAKAGE THROUGH A WALL E. N. MARTINNov. 23, 1965 Filed March 8, 1963 INVENTOR.

ERNEST N. MART/N arronwsrs United States Patent 3,219,321 CENTRIFUGALFLINGER FOR PREVENTING LEAKAGE THROUGH A WALL Ernest Newell Martin, 1141High St., Escondido, Calif. Filed Mar. 8, 1963, Ser. No. 263,780 3Claims. (Cl. 259-) The present invention relates to a mixing machine ofthe type having a housing in which the mixing is accomplished and whichemploys a rotatable impeller for performing the mixing. Such impeller isdriven by a shaft. This shaft is driven by, for example, a motor whichis disposed outside of the housing and the shaft extends from thedriving mechanism therefor through an opening in the housing.

In carrying out the present invention, the opening in the housingthrough which the shaft exends is larger in diameter than the diameterof the shaft whereby air can flow into the housing through the spaceabout the shaft. A centrifugal flinger is carried by the shaft and isdisposed in the housing adjacent the shaft opening for creating a lowpressure area in the housing about the shaft opening for drawing airthrough that opening and thereby preventing the egress of materialoutwardly through that opening.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparentfrom the following description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings wherein a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a side view, partially in section, of the mixer of the presentinvention, the section being taken substantially along line 11 of FIG.2;

FIG. 2 is a top plan view looking in the direction of arrows 22 of FIG.1, part of the hopper being broken away;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary section view taken along line 33 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the drive shaft, the impeller and thecentrifugal by actuated disc.

Referring more in detail to the drawing, the housing forming the mixingchamber 20 is indicated at 22. The housing comprises a cylinder 24,whose axis extends horizontally, an end wall 26 and a removable endcover 28. The bottom of the cylinder, adjacent the end wall 26 isprovided with an outlet 30 formed by a spout 32. The top of the cylinderis provided with an opening 34 for receiving the outlet end 36 of ahopper 38.

Suitable means such as that shown in Martin Patent No. 3,012,763, issuedDecember 12, 1961, is employed for delivering the ingredients of thehopper. The numeral 40 indicates the powder being delivered to thehopper, and the numeral 42 indicates the tube for delivering the liquidto the hopper.

The housing 22 is suitably secured to a supporting plate 44 whichsupporting plate also carries an electric motor 46. The plate 44 and theend cover 28 are provided with openings 48 and 59, respectively, whichopenings are axially aligned with the cylindrical housing 24. The shaft52 of the motor extends through the openings 48 and 50 and into thehousing. The diameter of these openings 48 and 50 are somewhat largerthan the diameter of the shaft 52 whereby air can pass therethrough andinto the mixing chamber 20.

The outer end of the shaft 52 carries a mixing impeller 54. Preferablythis impeller is disposed above the outlet opening 30 and adjacent theend wall 26. Powder and liquid delivered to the hopper 38 flow into themixing chamber 20 and are there whirled and thereby mixed by theimpeller 54. Thereafter it flows through the spout 32.

3,219,321 Patented Nov. 23, 1965 Means is provided for drawing airthrough the opening 50 and this means is herein shown as a centrifugalflinger in the form of a disc 56. This disc, upon rotating at highspeed, caused a low pressure area within the mixing chamber adjacent theopening 50, causing air to be drawing into the mixing chamber. By virtueof this construction, no packing gland is necessary for sealing theshaft and end cover 28, such packing gland usually being necessary forpreventing leakage of material along the shaft.

As seen in the drawing, the means for attaching the impeller and thedisc to the drive shaft 52 is somewhat similar to that defined in theaforementioned Letters Patent No. 3,012,763. However, in the presentconstruction, the legs 47, which carry the impeller 54 are also flat andhave their flat side in confronting relationship, and each is providedwith bent portions 58 which extend toward one another and extend intocomplementing transverse grooves 60 disposed on opposite sides of theshaft 52, to thereby provide driving connection between the shaft andthe impeller 54 and the disc 56.

While the form of embodiment therein shown and described constitutespreferred form, it is to be understood that other forms may be adoptedfalling Within the scope of the claims that follow:

I claim:

1. A mixing machine comprising in combination:

(A) Means forming a housing, said housing being open for the inlet ofmaterials to be mixed and having an outlet for the mixed materials, saidhousing having an opening for receiving a rotatable shaft;

(B) a shaft extending horizontally into the housing through the lastmentioned opening, the diameter of said shaft being less than thediameter of the said shaft receiving opening whereby air can passthrough said shaft receiving opening;

(C) an electric motor outside and fixed to the housing for rotating saidshaft, said shaft being exposed from the motor to the interior of thehousing;

(D) a mixing impeller within the housing connected with and driven bythe shaft;

(E) and means for preventing the escape of material through the openingfor the shaft by drawing air through said shaft receiving openingincluding a centrifugal flinger attached to said shaft and disposedwithin said housing adjacent said shaft receiving opening.

2. A mixing machine as defined in claim 1, characterized in that saidcentrifugal flinger comprises a disc.

3. A mixing machine comprising in combination:

(A) Means forming a housing, said housing being open for the inlet ofmaterials to be mixed and having an outlet for the mixed materials, saidhousing having an opening for receiving a rotatable shaft;

(B) a shaft extending horizontally into the housing through the lastmentioned opening, the diameter of said shaft being less than thediameter of the said shaft receiving opening whereby air can passthrough said shaft receiving opening, said shaft being provided withtransverse grooves on opposite sides thereof;

(C) means outside the housing for rotating the shaft;

(D) a mixing impeller within the housing connected with and driven bythe shaft;

(E) means for preventing the escape of material through the opening forthe shaft by drawing air through said shaft receiving opening includingcentrifugal flinger attached to said shaft and disposed within and saidhousing adjacent said shaft receiving opening;

(F) and means providing the driving connection bebetween the shaft andthe impeller and flinger including, a pair of flat legs having theirflat sides in con- References Cited by the Examiner frontingrelationship, said legs extending alongside UNITED STATES PATENTS saidshaft and in the housing, said impeller and flinger o 118,687 9/1871Chapman 259-26 bein fixed to said legs, each of said legs hav1ng a 2 5 pbent portion extending toward said shaft, one of 5 0'448 6/1944 C01 9259 '25 said bent portions extending into one of the grooves 12/1961Martm 259136 in the shaft and the other extending into the other grooveof the Shaft. IRVING BUNEVICH, Przmary Examiner.

1. A MIXING MACHINE COMPRISING IN COMBINATION: (A) MEANS FORMING AHOUSING, SAID HOUSING BEING OPEN FOR THE INLET OF MATERIALS TO BE MIXEDAND HAVING AN OUTLET FOR THE MIXED MATERIALS, SAID HOUSING HAVING ANOPENING FOR RECEIVING A ROTATABLE SHAFT; (B) A SHAFT EXTENDINGHORIZONTALLY INTO THE HOUSING THROUGH THE LAST MENTIONED OPENING, THEDIAMETER OF SAID SHAFT BEING LESS THAN THE DIAMETER OF THE SAID SHAFTRECEIVING OPENING WHEREBY AIR CAN PASS THROUGH SAID SHAFT RECEIVINGOPENING; (C) AN ELECTRIC MOTOR OUTSIDE AND FIXED TO THE HOUSING FORROTATING SAID SHAFT, SAID SHAFT BEING EXPOSED FROM THE MOTOR TO THEINTERIOR OF THE HOUSING; (D) A MIXING IMPELLER WITHIN THE HOUSINGCONNECTED WITH AND DRIVEN BY THE SHAFT; (E) AND MEANS FOR PREVENTING THEESCAPE OF MATERIAL THROUGH THE OPENING FOR THE SHAFT BY DRAWING AIRTHROUGH SAID SHAFT RECEIVING OPENING INCLUDING A CENTRIFUGAL FLINGERATTACHED TO SAID SHAFT AND DISPOSED WITHIN SAID HOUSING ADJACENT SAIDSHAFT RECEIVING OPENING.